Steve Cohen

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, last June 6 I voted for a hate crimes bill in this session, and was proud to do it. Since that time, the black ministers association in my city has come out strongly against the hate crimes bill that provides protection to people against violent crimes. Mr. Speaker, I addressed that group in Memphis Tuesday a week ago, and at that meeting one of the ministers got up and said to the press, ``The reason we're against this bill basically is because a white man can't represent black people.'' I represent a black district. I am one of only two Members that do. I plan to represent my people, as I have, and show this country from my district in Memphis, Tennessee, that regardless of race or color, a person should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin, and they can represent people in this country, for this is indeed one country under God, with liberty and justice for all. We recently celebrated in my city the 50th anniversary of the 1957 civil rights bill and will have the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King. That event will be in Memphis, Tennessee. We've come a long way, and we have a long way to go.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate and honor David Siegel, a lawyer in Memphis, Tennessee. Recently, the American Bar Association awarded Mr. Siegel its Edmund S. Muskie Pro Bono Service Award for his dedication to justice and public service. Mr. Siegel has been a strong and committed advocate for children's rights, devoting numerous pro bono hours to parental rights and child custody matters. Mr. Siegel's representation of the parents of Anna Mae He in a child custody lawsuit, during which he successfully convinced the Tennessee Supreme Court to restore their parental rights, particularly highlights his commitment to pro bono work. Mr. Siegel devoted an extraordinary number of hours to the case, representing the Hes for free from trial through the Tennessee Supreme Court appeal and sacrificing what precious little free time he had. Such dedication to pro bono work is almost unparalleled. Mr. Siegel richly deserves the recognition that the ABA has bestowed on him. I would also like to recognize Mr. Siegel's law firm, Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, PLC, for supporting his pro bono work. Mr. Siegel's commitment to pro bono representation would have been far more difficult to fulfill without his firm's equal commitment to such representation. As demonstrated by the He case, Mr. Siegel and his firm represent the highest and noblest ideals of the legal profession, and I commend them both.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I think it has well been addressed here the dangers that this side of the aisle and possibly some well-meaning folks on the other side of the aisle have about the encroachment on the Constitution that this bill will have. What it basically does is take judges out of the process. When we fear judges, we have got a real problem in this country, and from a court that routinely approves all requests made of it, the FISA court. On our walls enshrined forever are the words of Judge Lewis Brandeis in 1928. Judge Brandeis said: ``The greatest danger to liberty lurks in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning, but without understanding.'' The greatest danger to liberty lurks in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning, without understanding. I am afraid in Attorney General Gonzales we have somebody without understanding and maybe not even well-meaning. And the problem is, he should resign, because he is jeopardizing the security of this country, because the people of this country and most of the Members of this Congress don't trust him with additional powers. He should resign.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, July 31, I was unable to vote on roll No. 777 to sustain the ruling of the Chair. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on this motion.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, the 110th Congress came into action with the mandate from the American people to change the way business is done in Washington, and they wanted action on policies. They want action on policies that affect their everyday lives; and this Congress gave it to them with a minimum wage increase for the first time in a decade, with an ethics bill that helps drain the swamp and change the way we do business with lobbyists and make this truly the people's House. We also did it with the CHAMP bill that gives 6 million more children insurance and gives doctors the reimbursement they deserve, and seniors and people with disability the opportunity for health care. We passed ethics reforms. We have done things to make this House better. One thing the President and the people want us to do is work together. They don't want dilatory tactics by either side, and we have seen them, and the people on the other side know they have engaged in them. We need to have order in this House, respect for this House, and respect for the American people.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC, originated through the Montgomery Bus Boycott when a courageous young woman by the name of Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and move to the back of the bus on December 5, 1955. The Montgomery Bus Boycott brought two dynamic ministers together: Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ralph Abernathy. Through the guidance of Dr. King, Dr. Abernathy and Dr. Joseph Lowery, this boycott led to a new phase of a long struggle to be known as the modem day ``Civil Rights Movement.'' The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC, is best known for its commitment to nonviolent civil disobedience as a means for securing equal rights for African Americans and other oppressed people worldwide. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC, adopted the motto: ``Not one hair of one head should be harmed.'' This motto not only proved effective for the civil rights movement but should be applied in today's challenges in the world. After the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference founded the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee and cooperated with SNCC and other civil rights organizations seeking social justice for over 45 years. I myself have witnessed the power and effectiveness of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in the city of Memphis, when Dr. King and the Memphis Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC, and the labor movement organized 1,300 city sanitation workers to go on strike for fair and honest wages and benefits. I rise today and urge everyone to remember and respect 50 years of good works by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC. It has been living, fulfilling and perpetuating the dream of Dr. King. Its legacy, vision, and commitment to nonviolent action is highly regarded by this younger generation. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference has not just served the purpose of assuring rights for African Americans but all Americans.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, some time ago this House passed the Hate Crime Bill, and I was one of the sponsors and one of the supporters. Since that time, there has been a group of right-winged evangelical Republicans, national in scale, who have tried to influence preachers in my district, particularly African American preachers, and make them think that that bill will somehow quell their first amendment rights to speak what they think about the Bible and about people's conduct. That's not true whatsoever. That bill contained in it an amendment by Artur Davis that said this in no way affects anybody's first amendment right, and it doesn't. That Hate Crime Bill affects acts of violence, not acts of thought or speech; never has in this country's history and never will. There are the Ten Commandments that we have and we've honored for many years, and one of the Commandments is, ``Thou shalt not bear false witness.'' Well, in Memphis, Tennessee, that group has borne false witness in trying to question the Hate Crimes Bill and the votes of the Members of this House and, hopefully, the Senate when they pass that bill. It only affects violence, and violence aimed at any group is wrong. And if it's aimed at a group to intimidate, it's even more wrong.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I am astonished at what I have heard from the other side of the aisle: disingenuous talk about great deficit; the deficit caused by the Republican majority's work or lack of work over the last 12 years; giving tax breaks to the rich while sending our troops to a war that has cost us half a trillion dollars and approaching a trillion dollars. That is where the deficit has come from, and this disingenuous talk is shocking to hear. And the admission that they are against giving children of middle- class families health care. The Republican party, Mr. Speaker, used to say they cared about the middle class. Now they say they don't want to give health benefits to their children. That is amazing. And doctors, who used to be one of their main interest groups, would get reimbursement that they are entitled so that they can continue to participate in Medicare under this plan, and they oppose that. I would ask you to look at the wall and Daniel Webster, who says, engraved in stone here: Do something of monumental proportions. Do something that generations will remember, something great. That is what this bill will do. I am happy to be here in support of the CHAMP bill. Hubert Humphrey was a champion of children, and I am happy to stand here for him.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, it's my privilege and honor to speak on behalf of this bill. The New York Times and many of the other leading publications of this country has said this is something that this Congress needs to do to correct an inequity, a wrong. When there's a wrong in law, there's always a right; and when it's not one that the courts have righted, it's the duty of the legislative body to right it if it's something that's in the public good. Indeed, when there's discrimination in the workplace in pay and disparity, as there has been for years with women, for years we've known 69 cents is what a woman earns for every dollar, and when women are discriminated against doing the same job as a male, it's wrong and it needs to be changed. And so I think this legislation is appropriately brought before us to correct a wrong when the courts didn't, and I'm pleased to speak on behalf of it. I will be pleased to vote for it, and I am thankful that Mr. Miller and Mr. McGovern brought this and thank them for bringing it to the House of Representatives

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, last night, this House had a proposal before it to prohibit the DEA from enforcing Federal laws on medical marijuana patients in the 12 States where the public has legalized medical marijuana. Unfortunately, it failed. I voted for the proposal. Why did I vote for the proposal? Yes, I'm compassionate about people who have multiple sclerosis and AIDS and cancer who can benefit, Parkinson's disease and glaucoma who can benefit from medical marijuana. Yes, I voted for it because I believe in States' rights and I believe in Justice Brandeis and the laboratories of democracy and to see how things work in other States and be able to adjust and see how they should work in other States, but also because I believe the DEA shouldn't be busting medical marijuana houses and stores in Los Angeles. They should be working in my community to eliminate and eradicate methamphetamine, crack and other drugs that are ravaging my community and causing a crime problem in Memphis, Tennessee, and throughout this country. The DEA has not been effective at controlling the war on drugs. We need to win it. I would like that to happen.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I had a dear friend named Oral James Mitchell, Jr. Oral James Mitchell, Jr., was a Navy SEAL. He fought in Vietnam. Oral James Mitchell, Jr., got pancreatic cancer. He lived in Bethesda, Maryland, a 210-pound strapping man that you would want on your side in a fight, and I have had on my side in a fight, and this country had on its side in a fight in the Vietnam War. When he had pancreatic cancer, he smoked marijuana. And his 88-year- old Irish Catholic mother said to me, ``Thank God for the marijuana. It is the only thing that makes Oral smile or eat.'' I watched that man go down to 115 pounds and die. And Mrs. Mitchell was correct. As he was dying of pancreatic cancer, if he was in a State that made it legal, States' rights say they should have some authority, and Brandeis said States are the laboratories of democracy. And as laboratories of democracy, we ought to experiment and find out if it works and if it is good for people who are dying, if it gives them some relief. If it is glaucoma, if it is cancer, whatever the illness, they should have that relief. I would ask that we not have the Federal Government and DEA infringe on the laws of the States that have had changes in their laws, oftentimes through referenda of their people, and we allow those States to be the laboratories of democracy and not interfere with people who are dying, people who might have given their lives for this country, but who are dying and get some respite and some relief. So I ask you to pass this and allow States to have rights and people to have some relief in their dying days.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, on the 3rd of July in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, I discovered there was ice being disposed of by being dumped on a driveway, more or less, at Spottswood and East Parkway. What that was about was FEMA dropping and disposing of ice. FEMA had purchased thousands and thousands and thousands of pounds of ice after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita when they didn't have enough ice. To try to compensate, they bought way, way, way too much ice. I have discovered that FEMA spent in purchasing, in transporting and in storing ice in 23 different American cities, Mr. Speaker, $67 million of our taxpayers' money, and FEMA is now spending nearly $4 million to dispose of that ice over a period of 11 months. That means over $70 million of American taxpayer dollars going down the drain. That is not the way an American government or any government should work, any business should work, or what Americans should expect of their government. Fortunately, this Democratic Congress is doing what legislative branches are supposed to do; oversight. We have lacked oversight for the last 6 years, Mr. Speaker, and faults of the administration have gone unnoticed. But as I deal on the subcommittee that deals with FEMA, I will see to it on August 29th when that subcommittee meets in New Orleans on the second anniversary of that horrendous event, Hurricane Katrina, that we will ask the director of FEMA and the others about their programs, of why they buy excess commodities and excess ice, of why they spent $70 million of American taxpayers' money on an ice folly, and why they didn't try to dispose of that ice during the period of time when it had a useful shelf life and give it to 501(c)(3) charities, Federal, State or county institutions, so it could be used and utilized by American people who could have used that ice to save some money. The same thing happens with commodities. Chairman Eleanor Holmes Norton, the chairman of that subcommittee, had a hearing on food distribution of commodities where FEMA had wasted other precious commodities and dollars. Mr. Speaker, this needs to stop. Our tax dollars are valuable and people expect their government to do right with their tax dollars. I will not stand by. When I see incompetence, when I see inefficiencies, when I see ineffective use of tax dollars, I will speak up. I am fortunate to be on the subcommittee to ask the questions on August 29th of FEMA. It seems like the horrendous events that we had when Brownie didn't know what he was doing and the people in New Orleans were left in a tragic circumstance are replicating themselves. FEMA has not been cleaned up. We will try to see that FEMA spends our money properly and responds properly. They haven't responded to the American people and they haven't responded to Congress. This is a wrong that needs to be righted.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the distinguished gentleman from Davidson County for yielding and for bringing this amendment. There is still a critical need in this country for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In my communities, the finest public school students traditionally are desirous of going to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We try to keep them in Tennessee with HOPE scholarships. We offer from $4,000 to $5,500 a year to stay in Tennessee. There are fine Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Lemoyne-Owen in my district, Fisk in Nashville, and Knoxville College up in East Tennessee. But most of them want to go out of State and go to Atlanta and come to this area to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It is still the first choice for most African American students. We need to fund these schools at a higher level. They have not received increased funding over the last 5 or 6 years to speak of. The need has become greater and greater. These are students who need educational opportunities to move out and into the American dream. I commend the gentleman from Davidson County for bringing this amendment, I am pleased to support it, and ask the chairman of the Appropriations Committee to see this great need which will help people who have not had an opportunity to share in the American dream as much as they should.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, last night the Senate stayed in session and they're probably still in session because they can't get an agreement to discuss the resolution, the bill that this House has already passed, a similar one to end the war in Iraq and redeploy our troops and bring our troops home. This House, on several occasions, has passed bills with benchmarks to respond to the American people's wishes and end this horrific war. The Senate hasn't been able to do it because they need 60 votes to avoid filibuster. That's what they have going on now. And that's the problem, Mr. Speaker, is the procedures in the Senate, and that's why we're still in this horrific war, a war where the Prime Minister of Iraq has said he can provide for the security of his country by January 1 and he does not need our troops. Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that Emily Post's rule should be invoked. When you're a visitor and your host says you're no longer needed and no longer wanted, you pack your bags and you go home. I would advise the President, Mr. Speaker, to listen to Emily Post and be a good visitor and bring our troops home and stop losing lives needlessly.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, Democratic efforts to change direction in Iraq forced the President to issue a preliminary report showing that the Iraqis have not met the benchmarks that they were supposed to. The failure of the Iraqi Government to keep its promises, coupled with continued violence on the ground, the death of our soldiers and Iraqi civilians has led Senate Republicans, at least some of them, to join us in calling for a new direction in Iraq. Some Senate Republicans see the writing on the wall, writing on the wall in both of our House cloakrooms, but is yet to be seen on the Republican side but for four of our colleagues, for the optometrist hasn't made his way over there. The situation is getting worse for our troops. We will see this week whether Senate Republicans mean what they say and they vote for the Levin-Reed amendment when it comes to the Senate floor tomorrow and bring our troops home. The amendment is close to identical with what the House passed with Democratic votes and four Republicans last week. The Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki has said they can supply their own defense and they don't need us any longer. When a host says go home, it is only correct to go home. He says they don't need us. We aren't needed. We need to bring our troops home and not have them needlessly die.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, back in February when this Congress started the 110th, there was a proposal up here, a resolution that passed with mostly Democrat support, very few Republicans, to say we supported the troops but we opposed the surge or the escalation. Since that time, we have put 20,000 or 30,000 more troops into Iraq, and since that time we have had some of the deadliest months that we have incurred in this failed war in the Middle East. As time has gone on, we have seen Senators Voinovich; Lamar Alexander from my home State; Lugar; and others on the Republican side in the Senate come forth and say we need a change of direction. The handwriting has been on the wall in both cloakrooms. The handwriter got to the Democratic cloakroom a lot sooner than apparently the handwriter got to the Republican cloakroom. Either that, or the optometrist hasn't made it over to the other side. But the handwriting is on the wall, and in the interim there are American men and women dying needlessly. Over 3,600 have died; many, many, many, many more casualties, and the cost to this country will be great. While I was home during the home workweek, I saw a lady who told me her son has been at Desert Storm. He was still in the military. He had been in Iraq once before. And she told me he told her, Mother, I am proud to fight for my country. I have done it twice. But there is no purpose over there, there is no reason to be over there. We need to come home. I have heard it over and over and over again from the mothers of the soldiers who come home with testimony to our failed foreign policy. How many, how many, how many more must die? How many more limbs must be lost before the handwriting on the wall in the Republican cloakroom is read? I ask you to look in your own hearts. Think of the soldiers as your children, they are your constituents, and help redeploy them. We are not saying in this proposal that we come home entirely. We keep troops for certain causes. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, this past week was our home work week, and we went to visit with our constituents and see what the people thought. In the Ninth District of Tennessee, I found a people I know who felt that this war that we're engaging in is one that we need to bring our troops home from. They spoke of their family members who served in the previous war and said, there's no purpose in what we're doing, and we don't understand it. I saw a people who saw the movie ``Sicko'' and came away amazed. And as I toured the Federal Correctional Institute, I felt like I was watching ``Sicko'' in live theater, for I saw that if you're in prison, you get all the health care you want, but if you don't commit a crime, you don't get health care in this country. And Michael Moore has made a valid point. And I saw a people who feel like crime is a great problem in this country and their neighborhoods and who commend this Democratic Congress for passing the COPS bill and having more money for the hiring of policemen and for better technology. And I saw a people that wondered what's going on with our President and our Vice President and asked more and more about impeachment. It's something that the American Congress needs to consider strongly, for our executive powers are out of control.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, conditions on the ground in Iraq are not getting any better. In fact, things are getting worse. During a 48-hour period last week, 14 of our soldiers were killed, and then over the weekend another eight were killed in one day. April and May were two of the most violent months for our troops since the beginning of the war. It is clear the President's troop surge or escalation plan is not working. In fact, last week General David Petraeus acknowledged there would not be any significant improvements in Iraq by September. Why is that significant? Because that's when President Bush said we would be able to see if the plan was working. The fact is we won't know in September because it's not working, according to the President's own general. Then this week, two respected Republican Senators, Senator Lugar and Senator Voinovich, said the current policy is not working and a significant change is needed. The comments of these Senators, coupled with those of General Petraeus, should serve as a wake-up call to congressional Republicans. Join us in ending this war, bringing our troops home, and saving America's face.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, Saturday night Memphis, Tennessee, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of ALSAC, which is the fund-raising arm of St. Jude Hospital, an institution of which I am extremely proud. St. Jude has used science to bring cures to cancer and to fight cancer for children. It is a leading institution in our country. President Bush has a stem cell bill before him that this House and the Senate have passed. It needs his signature to become law. I plead to the President to allow that bill to become law, as Nancy Reagan has pleaded to the President when she saw her husband suffering from Alzheimer's; as Christopher Reeve pleaded when he had spinal cord injuries and some hope for his future, but didn't see it and died; as people with Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and cancer hope. Today I speak to you as a victim of polio. I wish we had stem cell research 50 years ago so we could regrow the muscle in my leg, and I would be whole, and I could play on the baseball team that the Congress has going to play next month. But I can't do it. We didn't have that research. We didn't have stem cells. We have it today. We need to invest it for the people of the 20th century and to cure illness. Please, Mr. President, sign the bill.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, today is June 19. June 19 is an important day in history. To African Americans, and to all Americans it should be, but to African Americans in particular, it is known as Juneteenth. Juneteenth is the first day I got involved in politics and learned about it. I didn't know much about it. I thought, why is Juneteenth a holiday to African Americans, and I learned. It's a holiday because that's the day in 1865 that the slaves in east Texas learned that they were free. The news of the Emancipation Proclamation did not get to Texas for 2 years, and that was the day that all slaves in America were free. The idea of our country having slavery as an institution was wrong. It was a crime against humanity. There is nothing more valuable to any of us than freedom, the opportunity to go where we want, to do what we want, and to associate with whom we want. That's what makes America great. Unfortunately, we had that institution, and later we had Jim Crow for 100 years. That's why I have introduced H. Res. 194 to apologize for slavery and Jim Crow, a crime against humanity that this government and this House permitted and allowed to occur. We must apologize for our errors.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my freshman colleague from Hawaii for bringing this particular resolution. It is appropriate that she honors her predecessor, Congresswoman Mink, who did so much in this Hall. In passing this bill, she did some of the things that were similar to civil rights laws of the 1960s in a continuum, because discrimination, whether it be race or gender or national origin or sexual orientation, is wrong. There are barriers this country needs to tear down and present a level playing field and an opportunity for all to enjoy the benefits of America. It is what Dr. King did talk about when he looked forward to getting to the Promised Land. That's part of what the Promised Land was, is, and will be. And so I thank the gentlelady for bringing the resolution. I am going to take an opportunity here to make a mea culpa. Earlier, when I had to address the House on Stax Records, I forgot a few people. And one of the people I forgot was a women, Carla Thomas, who did ``Gee Whiz,'' and her father, Rufus Thomas, who did ``Walking the Dog.'' In music, many of the Stax Record people were men, they were the Staple Singers, but Carla Thomas was a great singer. And there are so many fields that have been opened up. When I looked at the statistics that were made available to me, before title IX only 9 percent of the graduates from medical school were women. In 2004, there were 46 percent. In law, 7 percent had J.D. degrees for women, now 49 percent. When you think about those numbers, and that was just 35 years ago, Mr. Speaker, it's amazing how far we've come from the discrimination that existed at that time because of gender and what Representative Mink and the United States Congress' work did. It shows what can be positive and good about government. There is a lot of good things that government can do and does do, and people forget that. If it weren't for civil rights pioneers, there would still be segregation. If it weren't for the work of the Congress in the middle 1960s, there would still be discrimination possibly in housing and public employment and other public facilities. And if it weren't for Congresswoman Mink, there would be discrimination against women. There is much good that comes. Forces within society help, but they propel people in government to act and take action that this Congress has seen has made America a greater place. So it is my honor to stand and support the passage of this resolution that celebrates the 35th anniversary of title IX. It tells us just how far we've come in 35 years, but how just 35 years ago there were these limits. And the fact is, it was only 87 years ago that women got the right to vote. Mr. Speaker, 87 years ago women could not vote in this country, but this Congress, through a passage of a constitutional amendment, passed eventually by Tennessee as the perfect 36th State, gave women the right to vote in this country. So we've come a long way, but we've got a long way to go. And it is an honor to participate in this 35th anniversary. I thank the gentlelady for giving me the time.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak on Stax and 50 years of soul music that my hometown, Memphis, Tennessee, has provided this Nation. H. Res. 154 recognizes the rich history of Stax, its 50-year celebration. Last Saturday in Memphis, we started what's called ``Seven Days of Soul,'' honoring 7 days of soul, and while we're honoring 7 days of soul starting last Saturday, the rest of the year is just as good in Memphis. Every day is good in Memphis, and every day's really good on this Earth. Soul music is a special part of American music, and I wish to quote from The Commercial Appeal, which did a special feature on Stax and soul this past week by Mr. Bob Negr. He quotes Peter Guralnick, great rock and roll raconteur, and he says, what soul music is is the story of blacks and whites together. It is the story of the complicated intertwinings of dirt-poor roots and middle-class dreams, aesthetic ambitions and social strivings, the anarchic impulse and the business ethic. Guralnick, while not a Memphian, has been a great recounter of stories of Memphis music. He's done a lot with Elvis, and he's done a lot with Stax. And Memphis has got the roux that has made music what it's been in America. At Sun Records, things came together, and Sam Phillips put them together there, and Rufus Thomas, a staple of Stax, recorded at Sun Records. That was a fusion of music, just as Stax and soul music is a fusion of rhythm and blues and gospel music. Steve Cropper, one of the famous Booker T. and the MGs musicians and song writers, along with Duck Dunn, Booker T. Jones and the late Al Jackson, said, the main reason Stax was so singular and phenomenal was that we had no idea what we were doing. Kind of reminds you of Congress on occasion, like last week, but we had no idea what we were doing. I guess you'd say there was a kind of magic in not knowing, and that made it special. As Cropper noted, everything that made Stax great was, at its essence, beautifully raw and largely untutored. Certainly, that kind of description makes so many things in America so great. Mr. Speaker, what made Stax so great was it was a natural energy and it was a coming together of blacks and whites. The House band there was Booker T. and the MGs. Steve Copper and Duck Dunn are Caucasian, and Al Jackson and Booker T. Jones are African American. And they put out the music. They didn't put out white onions, they didn't put out red onions. They didn't put out yellow onions. They put out ``Green Onions,'' and because of ``Green Onions,'' the world rocks to a Memphis beat and Stax soul. The Memphis Horns were two gentlemen, Andrew Love and Wayne Jackson, one black and one white. That's the story that Memphis had in music, and it's the story that Memphis and this country need to have to come together and move forward. Stax is an embodiment of the American dream, the promised land, as Dr. King would call it. I am pleased the House considers this bill today, and welcome the gentleman from Arizona's manager's amendment which recognizes the important role that Memphis played in immortalizing the great genre of soul music at large. Now at the site of the old Stax headquarters and studio on historic McLemore Avenue is the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. It is the world's only soul music museum. No matter what Detroit might say, Memphis has the world's only soul music museum, and you need to come to Memphis and visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The many exhibits there include award-winning documentary film and an authentic 100-year-old Mississippi Delta church that was home to the gospel roots of soul music, original studio equipment, costumes, artwork and memorabilia intended to preserve the legacy of American soul music and its contributions worldwide. Stax was founded in 1957, not on a specific day with a cornerstone laid by the masons, but generally in 1957. That's the way soul music was. There is not exactly a date for it. It's just kind of a thing that happened. It was Jim Stewart and his sister, Estelle Axton. Jim Stewart's last name, Stewart starts with S-t, and Ms. Axton's, Ax, together S-t-a-x. Stax Records came together with Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. They put the Stax in Stax music. Stax Records brought forth so many hits. Otis Redding, ``(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay,'' and I have got to parenthetically relate a personal story. I was a freshman at Vanderbilt University one night when Otis Redding performed in the Bar-Kays. The Bar-Kays, a great instrumental group, ``Soul Finger'' was their big hit. Ben Cauley, James Alexander are the surviving members. Two days after they performed at Vanderbilt, their plane crashed. Just as when the Big Bopper's plane crashed, soul music would have crashed. We lost great, great talents, Otis Redding and the Bar-Kays that night. Fortunately, Mr. Cauley missed the plane and Mr. Alexander wasn't on it. But it was a night I will remember and all students at Vanderbilt will remember as well. We saw their next-to-last concert. But Otis came to Memphis to do ``(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay,'' the Staple Singers, ``Respect Yourself,'' Sam & Dave, famed for ``Hold On! I'm Comin,'' as well as ``I'm a Soul Man,'' Gene Knight's ``Mr. Big Stuff,'' so many instrumentals by Booker T. & the MGs; Eddie Floyd came to Memphis to do ``Knock on Wood.'' Other great musicians performed there, the Mar-Keys and others. It is fitting this resolution be considered this month of June, which is Black Music Month. Black Music Month recognizes the outstanding contributions African American singers have made to our Nation. This Friday, June 22, the Memphis Orpheum Theatre will celebrate this occasion with a concert entitled ``50 Years of Stax: A Concert to Benefit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.'' Artists scheduled to perform at the event include such legendary talents as Isaac Hayes of ``Shaft'' fame, and one of the nicest human beings you would ever want to meet, and I have had that great fortune; Booker T. & the MGs, Eddie Floyd, William Bell Mavis Staples, the Soul Children and the Reddings will be honoring their father, the late legendary Otis Redding. I am honored this resolution recognizes their talents, as well as such legendary artists as Aretha Franklin, who was born in Memphis; B.B. King; Albert King, no relation, but just as good at putting hot licks on those guitars; the Memphis Horns, Wayne Jackson & Andrew Love, Sam & Dave, the Mar-Keys; and even though not on Stax Records, Al Green and his legendary producer Willie Mitchell can't not be mentioned for all they did for Memphis music. David Porter was a great songwriter. He'll be there too in the Stax Days. Stax Records was something special for Memphis and the country. It lives on through the museum, but it also lives on through now the Concord Music Group, which just announced the relaunch of Stax Records as a creative home for present-day soul stars such as Angie Stone, Soulive, Lalah Hathaway and Leon Ware who will be performing as well, and they will be joined along with other heritage artists such as Isaac Hayes to record on this label which has returned to its prominent place in Memphis and hopefully a prominent place in the charts. It is a great honor and privilege that the House of Representatives would consider this bill today. I am thankful to have the opportunity to sponsor this legislation because of the great impact soul music has had on my life, the lives of my constituents, so many of us here in Congress and so many Americans. Tomorrow is Juneteenth. Juneteenth is the anniversary of the last free emancipation of slaves. The word got to east Texas that the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed in 1863. It wasn't until 1865, June 19, the news got to Texas and all the slaves were freed. It's appropriate that in Black Music Month, during the celebration of Juneteenth and weekend before last, Middle Passage Weekend, when we celebrate the people who made their passage, and some were so brave that rather than put themselves into slavery as Jews at Masada in the same way gave up their lives rather than be enslaved that we honor Stax Records. It's going to be a great night Friday night. We will remember our heritage in Memphis. We will remember our heritage in America. And we have a new future with a recording label, with Stax Records. I urge every one to be soulful, to listen to soul music and ask the House of Representatives to pass H. Res. 154.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word, and I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, the Homeland Security Appropriations bill addresses not only the threat of terrorist activity, but funding for States and communities to confront the threat and real consequences of natural disasters and emergency situations. Hurricane Katrina was one disaster. The response of the Federal Government to Katrina was another disaster. While the world watched, our citizens were left to fend for themselves. I live in a city that sits at the epicenter of the New Madrid fault zone. Historically, this area has been the site of some of the largest earthquakes in North America. Scientists believe we could be overdue for a large earthquake and through research and public awareness may be able to prevent terrible losses of life and property. Also, Memphis is built on the banks of the Mississippi, and as every river town knows, we must be vigilant to ensure that the river remains our friend. And Tennessee is one of the States most frequently hit with tornadoes and destructive straight-line winds. I am pleased to support the Homeland Security Appropriations bill because it provides for the needs of our citizens to ensure that their government will be vigilant in protecting them not only from terrorists, imagined and real, but by preparing for emergencies and being there in the aftermath of disasters. We don't need to just say, there's been a ``heckuva job'' done, but we need to make sure that the job is done. Mr. Chairman, we were here until 2 o'clock this morning because of dilatory moves on the other side. We need to come together and pass a homeland security bill that protects our cities and our States from natural disasters and protects our country from terrorists, imagined and real. This is a bill we need to pass for America and make America proud of this United States Congress.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, it's been an interesting process these last, give or take, 24 hours. As a freshman legislator who spent 24 years in the Tennessee State senate, in those 24 years in the senate I saw the parties work together. Democrats and Republicans worked together for the betterment of our State. We had Republican governors. We had Democratic governors. We had Republican and Democratic legislators. What America wants is for the parties to work together. On most of the bills we've had, they were brought by Democrats, and it's been called a Democratic Congress, but many of the bills that were passed by this Congress were done in a bipartisan way. There were Republicans who voted for stem cell, not a majority, I believe, but Republicans voted for the stem cell research. There were some Republicans who even voted for the minimum wage. There were Republicans who thought prescription drug prices should come down. There were Republicans who even cared about college loans being brought down. There were bipartisan efforts to bring about progress. There was much less bipartisanship in the effort to save lives in Iraq and end that wasteful and unfortunate policy we have in the Middle East, but--however, there was bipartisanship. During this debate, one of the most serious requests debates we could have, the Homeland Security bill to protect us from natural disasters, to protect us from foreign enemies and terrorists, we have gotten into the most divisive partisan debate that I've seen in this Congress in the 5 months I've been here. Much of the debate has not been about the Homeland Security bill, unfortunately, Mr. Chairman. It's been about attempts to attack our Speaker, the first woman ever elected Speaker of this House of Representatives, a great day in this country when the glass ceiling was broken, when a great lady was put in this position, the highest position a woman has ever been in in the legislative body in the history of the United States. To try to tear down the Speaker, trying to tear down the party and trying to bring up other issues, rather than talking about Homeland Security. Yesterday, Congressman Arcuri spoke, a former prosecutor. He said, you know, in opening statements if a person talks about the facts, they've got a case. And if they talk about things other than the facts, they don't. And the opposition party has not talked about the facts. They've brought up everything but the facts of the Homeland Security bill. They really haven't shown where there are problems with this bill. The previous speaker, Mr. Chairman, talked about, used all the buzz words, the buzz words of ``slush fund,'' ``pet projects,'' ``pork'' and others. The truth of the matter is, Mr. Chairman, and he knows it as well as everybody else knows it, he's not against those things. He just wants his slush fund, his pet projects and his pork. And when people throw those terms out, because that's not what they are, they are Congress citing specific needs to be placed in the law to that represent their districts. But then what he does is disparage government. I have spent my life in government, my entire life, and I've found it a great calling, and I think we should all try to make people think more and better about government and have young people see this as a high calling, Mr. Chairman. There are young people in our audience. They should see this as a place where they want to serve and see government as working, and I think some of them do. But to use these terms in a disparaging way when what the party's trying to do is to say, we want our share, we want our earmarks, not pork, but our earmarks, is wrong. And it's wrong when you take the oath of office to uphold the Constitution. You should be upholding government and supporting government. And it's unfortunate we've seen this. This has been a low point in the Congress since I've been here. I am proud to be a part of this Congress. There are many Members on the other side of the aisle that I'm proud to serve with as well. There are some very, very fine people, and I'm sure the gentlemen who have spoken today are all fine people. But we need to rise above some of this partisanship, try to pass this Homeland Security bill, protect our country, and inspire people to serve in government and realize that it's a process, and the process involves the Senate, and it involves the executive, it involves both sides of the aisle. And to try to tear down one side tears down government in general. We're all part of the process, and I wish we'd work together and pass this bill. We were up till 2 o'clock this morning because of seven moves to rise and have the committee adjourn. All seven failed. They knew they were all going to fail. And it was a burden on the staff, it was a burden on the Congress, and probably a burden on people that wanted to watch something else on C-SPAN last night. But with that, Mr. Chairman, I just encourage our colleagues to support this bill, to protect America and to have a debate that is germane to the issues concerning homeland security.